Daytona

on

PreseasonThunder2013ThumbNASCAR Preseason Thunder Rolls Into Daytona

Sixth-Generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Car To Make Debut At The World Center of Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 8, 2013) – NASCAR fans will get their first glimpse of the new sixth-generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars on the storied Daytona International Speedway for three days this week at Preseason Thunder, the unofficial on-track start of the 2013 NASCAR season.

This week’s sessions will be the only test for the new car at Daytona prior to Speedweeks, which begins with The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 (SPEED, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio) and culminates with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio).

 “This test is an opportunity for the teams to prepare their cars for Speedweeks and the 55th running of the Daytona 500,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “This is the teams’ test and provides an excellent lead in to the upcoming 2013 season. There has been a lot of work put into the development of the Gen-6 car by the manufacturers, teams and NASCAR. It will be exciting to see the new cars on the track for Daytona Preseason Thunder.”

After several tests for the new car, including one restrictor plate test at Talladega Superspeedway, the rules package has been set heading into Preseason Thunder.

The rules package for Daytona includes:

  • Plate size                      29/32″ (same plate size as 2012)
  • Spoiler size                   4″ high x 53″ wide
  • Spoiler angle                 70 degrees
  • Front Grille size             1-3/4″ high x 23″ wide
  • Radiator Relief valve     32 psi

 

In addition to the year’s first on-track testing, the track will also host Preseason Thunder Fan Fest on Thursday night, January 10.

Fan Fest will include autograph sessions, driver fan forums, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2013 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy.

Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 on Thursday and $10 for Friday and Saturday and are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.

Among the drivers scheduled to appear on Thursday, Jan. 10 during the 5:30–7:30 p.m. session are Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin.

In the 7:30–9:30 p.m. session, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, 2012 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick, Aric Almirola, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, David Ragan, David Gilliland, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Austin Dillon, Trevor Bayne and Casey Mears are scheduled to appear.

Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway’s social media channels following the end of testing Thursday evening from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by including #DaytonaTesting and the driver’s official Twitter handle. NASCAR’s official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session. Fans can also participate in live driver chats hosted on Facebook by visitingwww.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.

SPEED will broadcast live coverage of testing on all three days from 1-5 p.m. ET. Additionally, SPEEDTV.com will stream testing live from 9 a.m.-noon ET each day.

on

2012 NASCAR Victory Lap Las Vegas Burn Outs - Sprint Pace Car

The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona to Launch the 2013 NASCAR Season
Race Fans Eligible for Upgraded Experiences such as Grand Marshal
and Honorary Starter; Race marks the Debut of the New Sprint Cup Series Cars

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Sprint has partnered with Daytona International Speedway to sponsor The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona, the fan-favorite non-points event formerly known as the Daytona Shootout that traditionally kicks off the stock car portion of Budweiser Speedweeks 2013 and the NASCAR season.
The race will once again be held under the lights on Saturday night, Feb. 16 (FOX 8 p.m. ET) but will feature several new elements that will make this event even more of a fan favorite. Fans in attendance will be eligible to receive special upgraded race experiences from Sprint including roles as Grand Marshal, Honorary Starter, and trophy presenter. Fans can also help deliver the trophy to Gatorade Victory Lane or participate in driver introductions during pre-race ceremonies.
“Sprint is entering its 10th season as title sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president of marketing for Sprint. “From the outset, we promised unprecedented access for race fans, and each year we challenge ourselves to honor that commitment in innovative ways. Thanks to the strength of our partnership with NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway, we have designed The Sprint Unlimited so that fans play a major role in all aspects of the event. It is the ideal way to start this milestone season, and we look forward to sharing all of the details later this month.”
In addition to the new fan elements, The Sprint Unlimited marks the first time the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars will compete on-track in an event. Dubbed “Gen 6,” the new-look sixth generation cars highlight greater brand identity for the manufacturers and are expected to heighten the rivalries among drivers and manufacturers.
“Now more than ever, through our growing partnership with Sprint, The Sprint Unlimited will be the fans’ race,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “Sprint has been a great partner with Daytona and NASCAR, and they continue to raise the bar by engaging race fans in new and innovative ways. We look forward to hearing about additional unique elements for this race in the coming weeks.
“We are also excited for the debut of the new Sprint Cup Series car, which we believe will provide thrilling on-track action and make The Sprint Unlimited an unforgettable launch to the 2013 season.”
As announced earlier in the year, the format for selecting the field of drivers in the invitation-only event will return to its roots for 2013. The eligible field of drivers will consist of pole winners from the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and past winners of The Sprint Unlimited who have attempted to qualify for at least one race during the 2012 season.
Tickets for The Sprint Unlimited start at $39 and are available for purchase at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Children 12 and under are free in general admission grandstands and the Sprint FANZONE.
Fans can follow Miss Sprint Cup (@MissSprintCup) and NASCAR (@NASCAR) on Twitter and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #SprintUnlimited, #NASCAR, #DAYTONA500 and #NASCARBattle.
In addition, fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest for all the latest news all season long.
The field for The Sprint Unlimited is currently at 22 drivers and features a who’s who of NASCAR stars.
2012 Pole Winners:
Greg Biffle
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Carl Edwards
Denny Hamlin
Kasey Kahne
Mark Martin
Jeff Gordon
Martin Truex Jr.
Tony Stewart
AJ Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Joey Logano
Marcos Ambrose
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Juan Pablo Montoya
Past champions of The Sprint Unlimited:
Kurt Busch
Kevin Harvick
Bill Elliott
Terry Labonte
Ken Schrader

on

Talladega stands statistically as Jimmie Johnson’s worst-performing track based on his Driver Rating of 81.5. Johnson, however, has won twice at ‘Dega, most recently in the spring of 2011. Johnson has performed at the 2.66-mile superspeedway when it counted most with top-10 Chase finishes in four of his five championship seasons.

Continue reading “Johnson’s ’Dega Stats Aren’t Great But He’s Solid When It’s Counted Most”

on

We had an exclusive one-on-one interview with AJ Allmendinger on this weeks The Final Lap Weekly. Have a listen.

THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY – DAYTONA PREVIEW FEATURING AJ Allmendinger

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2012) – Driver AJ Allmendinger has been temporarily suspended from NASCAR competition based upon notification of a positive “A” test NASCAR received from the Medical Review Officer as stated in Section 19-11B (6,7) of the NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy. Pursuant to the rule book, Allmendinger has the opportunity to request within the next 72 hours that his “B” sample be tested.

NASCAR will follow its policies and procedures set forth in the rule book in dealing with this matter.

AUDIO: NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell

NOTE: Penske Racing is flying Sam Hornish Jr. from Charlotte to Daytona Beach in hopes of getting him in the #22 car.